Recapping an incredible run

Ryan Zimmerman was gracious and humble as always as his hit streak ended at 30 games this afternoon. Just as he did throughout a streak that began way back on April 8, he was focused more on the Nationals’ team fortunes than on his own individual accomplishments.

“Would I love to get a hit every game? Sure,” he said after today’s 6-2 win over the Giants in which he went 0-for-3 with two walks. “I’m still going to try to get a hit every single game. But the fact that we won to end this West Coast trip .500 … that’s probably the best we’ve done on the West Coast in a while. We’re growing up. We’re getting better and we’re doing things right. It’s a step forward.”

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Zimmerman’s focus on the team over himself is not an act. He truly cares about winning, and he often said he would have traded any one of those hits over the last month-plus for some more wins.

He also had nothing but nice things to say today about Giants manager Bruce Bochy (who intentionally walked him in the seventh inning) and the Giants fans who gave him a standing ovation when the streak ended.

On the intentional walk: “They’re trying to win the game. They’re not trying to cater to my winning streak. I got another chance. I had five chances to do it. I missed some pitches. That’s what cost me.”

On the reception from the Giants fans: “They’re very knowledgeable fans. They know baseball. They love baseball. It was special. Any time you can get people telling you good luck, people cheering you on the road, it means something.”

So the streak is over, and Zimmerman won’t get a chance to try to extend it in front of his hometown fans on Friday. I am sure there still will be a very nice welcome-home ovation for the guy when he steps to the plate in the bottom of the first against Joe Blanton.

What else? Oh yeah, Shairon Martis is 5-0, lest anyone forget. What an impressive story he has become. Now that The Streak is over, I think I may have to delve a little deeper into the right-hander’s interesting life story. Stay tuned for that one in the coming days…